Geography-challenged US congresswoman blasts Iran deal

Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney botched an attempt to defend her opposition to the Iran nuclear deal when she placed Yemen in Africa, mistaking it for Sudan, and misstated two Arab countries’ nuclear policies.

The Democrat, who represents Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, was speaking at the Haaretz New Israel Fund conference in defiance of US President Obama.

She wore a firefighter’s coat during the conference to express her support for the Zadroga act which provides health benefits to 9/11 responders, according to Mondoweiss. 

She said the deal had caused “scratches” in the US relationship with Israel and should be a non-partisan commitment for US politicians

During her explanation of why she was opposed to the deal she became somewhat loose with the facts.

“They are hoping that the region will change in the future, but the ink was not even dry before they were announcing Death to America, Death to Israel. Osama bin Laden has taught us when they say they’re going to kill you, believe them…” she said.

“Just after the deal was approved, they discovered more uranium (in Iran). They are now in the process of enriching that. They were caught sending weapons since they signed the deal to the Houthis in the Sudan. They’ve been big exporters of terror in the region, Hamas and Hezbollah,” she continued.

Sudan is on the Saudi side in Yemen. Saudi Arabia sent troops there in October to fight Houthi rebels.

In July of this year, the Iran nuclear deal was agreed upon by Iran and six world powers, including the US, after a decade of negotiations.

President Obama said at the time the deal would oblige Iran to get rid of 98 percent of its enriched uranium.

It was reported in September that the Iranian government had found a surprise uranium reserve that would allow it to fuel its nuclear program without having to look abroad.

Western experts previously believed Iran would have to import uranium in order to continue its nuclear program.

However, the UN nuclear watchdog announced on Tuesday that it was closing its probe into whether Tehran was seeking to obtain nuclear weapons.

The decision was made by the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as it looks to move forward with the deal, which should see Tehran restrain its nuclear program in return for economic sanctions being lifted.

READ MORE: UN closes case into alleged Iranian quest for nukes

Maloney also claimed that an arms race has evolved since the agreement.

“Both Qatar (and) the United Arab Emirates has now said that they’re no longer bound by their anti-nuclear proliferation agreements, that they’re going to start their nuclear program. And Saudi Arabia and Israel are buying more arms. I don’t think that makes the region any safer,” the Congresswoman said.

The UAE Embassy in Washington said the “government has not formally changed its views or perspective on the 123 Agreement or commitments.”

The UAE has previously said that it welcomes the nuclear deal reached with Iran, according to Mondoweiss.

Maloney was applauded after her speech and not called on her misleading statements. Her comments didn’t go unnoticed online, however.